In contrast to my 2014 year-in-review piece in which I lamented the disappearance of more than 5,000 articles written and published on my site since October 2006, I’m sharing no news this year about suspected cyberattacks and other forms of online skulduggery. Instead, after writing and publishing more than 300 additional articles during the past 18 months, it’s time to say goodbye. Yes, this is the final curtain call on my 10-year career as an online purveyor of opinions, investigative reports and an occasional dose of humor.

Click on image above to order Bob’s books.

Why the curtain call? Because I recently accepted a position with a Fortune 500 company and, due to time constraints, am no longer able to continue this endeavor. I must say, however, that it’s been an interesting ride since the days when my website was known as “BMW: The Ultimate Blogging Machine” and ranked #82 among the world’s Top 100 Conservative Blogs.

My cartoonist friend, David Donar, drew this for my use as the “Ultimate Blogging Machine.”

As the virtual fabric of this curtain call, I’d like to challenge other journalists — including those “citizen” journalists so often looked down upon by many of my college journalism-school brethren — to pick up the torch and keep the sunlight of disinfectant shining on a handful of topics (below) that deserve continued attention:

• THE PENTAGON’S SEXUAL ASSAULT WITCH HUNT

Click on graphic above to order a copy of Three Days In August by Bob McCarty.

Since the October 2011 release of my first nonfiction book, Three Days In August: A U.S. Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice, I’ve been contacted by hundreds of individuals in search of help after they or a loved one found themselves falsely accused of crimes — usually involving members of the opposite sex — and, too often, convicted of those crimes in the military justice system. The case I’ve followed most closely since late August involves Army Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin and will be, if I can possibly make it happen, the subject of my next book. It’s a big “IF” due to the career change, but I hope to make it happen nonetheless. My 49-minute Skype interview with Major Martin offers an overview of the people and allegations involved in this case prior to multiple dead bodies being discovered only a week ahead of the date on which the major’s court-martial was set to begin. It has now been pushed back to an as-yet-undetermined date in March 2016.

• INTERROGATION TECHNOLOGY

Click on image above to order a copy of The Clapper Memo by Bob McCarty.

In April 2008, I wrote a short piece about the Pentagon’s plan to deploy portable polygraph technology to war zones, purportedly for use in interrogating terror suspects and others whose information might be valuable to our war effort. Twelve months later, I asked Pentagon officials a handful of questions about how well the portable polygraphs had worked during their first year of use. Unsatisfied with the answers I received which seemed to indicate the portable polygraph technology had failed miserably, I launched an investigation that would last more than four years and result in learning about an extremely accurate and effective interrogation technology that Department of Defense leaders had yanked from the “toolkits” of our warfighters.

Along the way, I interviewed men who had used that technology with much success. Among them, Defense Intelligence Agency contractors who interrogated members of Saddam Hussein’s “Deck of Cards” as well as al-Qaeda and Taliban terror suspects and Army Green Berets and Navy SEALs who had used that technology with much success on the battlefield. In addition, I obtained never-before-published copies of letters and reports written by men who had used that technology with much success to interrogate detainees at Guantanamo Bay during the early days of the Global War On Terror. In May 2013, I shared the results of my investigation in the form of my second nonfiction book, The Clapper Memo.

In January 2012, I wrote my first report about radioactive waste issues in the St. Louis area. It had to do with a report about cancer concerns related to the Weldon Spring Site in St. Charles County, Mo., the county just west and northwest of St. Louis County (Mo.). Three years later, I offered an update under the headline, New Weldon Spring Cancer Report Due Out Early 2016. Sadly, state health department officials have refused to provide answers to my latest queries. As a result, the final word remains to be written on this subject.

There are, of course, many more topics I’d like to highlight, but I’ll let you peruse them via the drop-down menu of categories located just below the “SEARCH” block in the right sidebar.

Before closing, allow me to suggest you show any appreciation you might have for my decade of work by purchasing copies of my books as Christmas gifts for the readers in your life:

• For pure entertainment value, I recommend you read about FBI Special Agent Joseph L. Wilson and his effort to solve the mystery behind the deaths of thousands of Americans during the Fourth of July weekend. The biggest challenge of his law enforcement career, the investigation becomes personal after Wilson realizes he shares one thing in common with those who died: The National Bet.

Thanks for everything and Merry Christmas to you and yours! It’s been a great ride!

FYI: Because I might write a few more pieces before the end of the year, I’ll leave this as a “Featured Post” until then. And, oh yes, I will keep posting occasional thoughts on my Facebook page.

Nov. 30:FLASHBACK: A Presidential Candidate Lied to Me in 2011 — Four years ago today, I published a piece about my trust in then-Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain being placed in peril and, eventually, broken more than eight months after I’d asked him a serious question during a phone call. Hoping the 2016 candidates are paying attention, I share it again (only slightly modified for republication).

Nov. 30:Exclusive Interview: Army Officer Fighting Toughest Battle — An elite Army Ranger and master Army aviator, Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin flew some 1,000 hours of combat missions in Iraq. Today, however, the 47-year-old attack helicopter pilot is fighting the toughest battle of his life at home. He shared details of that battle during an exclusive interview Sept. 2. Today, for the first time ever, I share the complete 49-minute version of the interview, complete with on-screen updates.

Dec. 1:Army Prosecutes Officer on Child Abuse Charges After State Officials in Kentucky Declare Charges ‘Unsubstantiated’ — Though officials with the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued a finding Jan. 3, 2013, that allegations of child abuse and/or neglect against Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin were unsubstantiated, Army leaders opted to move forward with the prosecution of the dedicated Soldier, based largely on allegations made by a woman who pleaded guilty in Christian County (Ky.) Court Oct. 14 to a felony charge of bigamy — that is, she admitted to having married Major Martin without telling him she was still married to another man.

Dec. 5: New Video Released: ‘I Do Not Like Barack O’Bam’ — On Friday, I wrapped up production of a new video, “I Do Not Like Barack O’Bam.” I wrote the copyrighted words for this “slam poetry” effort in March 2011 and only recently decided it was time to combine those words with images to convey my feelings about President Barack Obama. If you’re a conservative and a fan of the late Ted Geisel (“Dr. Seuss”), I think you’ll enjoy it immensely.

BONUS COVERAGE

So busy writing that I didn’t get around to sharing a weekly update two weeks in a row, I’ll try to make up for it below by sharing some of the best pieces from Nov. 15-28, 2015:

Nov. 16:Government Funds Program to Develop Voice Stress-Based Vetting Technology Despite Fact Technology Already Exists — Would it surprise you to learn the federal government has been spending millions of dollars to develop a voice stress-based credibility-assessment technology to vet foreign individuals seeking entry into the United States from places like Syria? Hardly. But it might surprise you to learn the money has been spent despite the fact that kind of technology already exists and has proven itself over and over again in places like Afghanistan, Iraqand Guantanamo Bay.

Nov. 21:‘Tryphorgetin’ Back to Haunt Hillary After 8-Year Hiatus — Eight years ago this month, I was in fairly-regular contact with Bruce Chapman, the part-time producer of short and funny politically-incorrect videos. One of his spots touted the fictitious pharmaceutical product, “Tryphorgetin,” as it poked fun at Hillary Clinton in the fall of 2007 before seeming to disappear from the web after the 2008 elections. Today, it resurfaced in my Facebook feed, and I decided it was worth sharing again as the former first lady, senator and secretary of state makes another run for the White House.

Nov. 24:Is Army Trying to Destroy Officer’s Chance for Fair Trial? — In a previous report today, I shared an update about the discovery of several dead bodies in Pembroke, Ky., and how Army Criminal Investigation Division agents have made it virtually impossible for Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin to obtain a fair trial as he prepares to fight sexual assault charges levied against him by the Army. Below, I share a treasure trove of disturbing, never-before-published details about recent events in the case.

Nov. 24:Army Officer’s Military Trial Delayed by Military Judge — “MAJ Christian Martin’s General Court Martial has been officially delayed by the military judge as of today. It has not been re-docketed so there is no new date to report at this time,” wrote Army LTC Chevelle Thomas in an email message I received at 3:22 p.m. Central today.

UPDATE 12/7/2015 at 8:12 a.m. Central: I failed to include a note that a military judge continued the military trial date for Army Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin to sometime in March 2016, though no specific date has been set.

UPDATE 12/10/2015 at 11:08 a.m. Central: I’ve learned that Major Martin’s military trial date is set for March 14-18, 2016.

I hope you enjoy my work and will consider purchasing copies of my books as Christmas gifts in order to keep this machine churning out articles you’ll find nowhere else. Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!

I wrote the copyrighted words for this “slam poetry” effort in March 2011 and only recently decided it was time to combine those words with images to convey my feelings about President Barack Obama. If you’re a conservative and a fan of the late Ted Geisel (“Dr. Seuss”), I think you’ll enjoy it immensely.

FYI: Notice I didn’t say I hate the man. Very important difference.

Please enjoy and share.

For links to other articles of interest as well as photos and commentary, join me on Facebook and Twitter. Please show your support by buying my books and encouraging your friends and loved ones to do the same.

EDITOR’S NOTE: While diving into my archives, I came across a piece I wrote and published seven years ago this week. Because direct links to a newspaper report and a public opinion survey cited in the article were “dead,” I replaced them with Wayback Machine links. Considering recent terror events such as the ones in Paris last month and the one in San Bernadino, Calif., yesterday, I think the article remains worth sharing. See if you agree.

Click on image above to view article via Wayback Machine.

After reading a British newspaper report about plans law enforcement officials in Mumbai have to use truth serum on the only Islamic terrorist captured following last week’s attacks, I couldn’t help but think this “narcoanalysis” might come in handy as a tool for cleaning up the mess being being made of this country by our elected officials in Washington, D.C.

Though the use of truth serum is, according to the TimesOnline report, banned in most democracies, I think most Americans would approve an exception as long as it is applied in a bipartisan fashion as follows:

• First in line to have truth serum administered would be President-elect Barack Obama. He would, of course, set the example for others to follow as he answered questions that required him to tell the truth about where he was born, about his core beliefs and about the plans he has for this country.

• Next up, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). They would be asked a series of questions aimed at determining, once and for all, whether either is truly smarter than a fifth grader.

• Finally, the other 433 members of Congress — who, as a group, garner an approval rating of only 19 percent — would be given the opportunity to come clean about any skeletons they might have in their closets. Members who disclose illegal and/or unethical behavior would be given two options: resign or face prosecution.

For those who think the use of truth serum constitutes a step too radical for the planet’s longest-lasting constitutional republic, I offer a final thought for your consideration:

What’s more damaging to the nation’s long-term interests: An attack by radical Islamic terrorists from some distant land that does millions of dollars in damage and kills a few hundred or a few thousand lives OR the seemingly-endless assault on American citizens — let’s call it “domestic terrorism” — by elected officials who, with each passing year, drift further away from the intent of the nation’s founding fathers? I say the latter.

Now how do we get this ball rolling? Ideas?

ENDNOTE: At the time I wrote the piece above, I had not yet begun the four-year investigation of the federal government’s use of so-called “credibility assessment technologies” that would result in the publication of my second nonfiction book, The Clapper Memo. If you’re interested in learning about a painless and touch-free tool that has already been used with great success to interrogate detainees at Guantanamo Bay, members of Saddam Hussein’s “Deck of Cards” and members of both al-Qaeda and the Taliban, you should order a copy of the book. Likewise, if you’re interested in learning why the Department of Defense banned the same tool from use by our warfighters, you need to order a copy of the book.

For links to other articles of interest as well as photos and commentary, join me on Facebook and Twitter. Please show your support by buying my books and encouraging your friends and loved ones to do the same. Thanks in advance!

During more than four months of reporting on the Army’s misguided prosecution of Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin, I’ve had conversations with many people about the case. Recent interactions with two law-and-order veterans, both of whom will remain unidentified due to the fact they’re frequently involved in military justice cases, are worth sharing as both seem to “smell a rat” at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Socialist Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders has nothing to do with the Army’s prosecution of Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin, but he does seem to match the description one attorney had for the major’s “ex-wife” accuser.

“It is incredulous that any law enforcement officer of any rank or assignment would not immediately jump on the opportunity to obtain video evidence. In this case, Major Martin had told deputies on scene that he had surveillance cameras and offered that video footage to them. Their refusal to accept the cameras suggests they had already made up their mind, evidently by virtue of what they had been told by the Army that Major Martin was the most likely culprit. It will probably just be a matter of time before the Christian County (Ky.) Sheriff’s Department realizes they have been played by the Army and comes forward with that information.”

Similarly, I received an email message from a military defense attorney with whom I occasionally chat. He asked if I had seen a piece published by Fox 17 in Nashville under the headline, Home, Cars of Fort Campbell Army Major Searched in Connection to Ky. Murders.I replied, telling him I had not seen it yet, and he came back with the comments below about Major Martin, his accuser/ex-“wife” and Maj. Jacob Bashore, the special victims prosecutor overseeing the Army’s prosecution of Major Martin:

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Bashore has (Martin) thrown into pretrial confinement and charged with murder just to muddy him up for the BS rape charge. And this ex-‘wife’ of his sounds like she is ‘batshit crazy,’ so I really hope Christian County is inquiring into her whereabouts on that night. But, if my intuition is on point, they probably won’t.

“On the off chance they do, I really hope the accuser/ex-‘wife’ did it for two reasons: (1) the case against Major Martin will most likely go away; and (2) the SVP would have some serious, serious egg on his face by going along with this woman who appears to have Crystal Magnum qualities. (Crystal Magnum went to jail for killing a man after she falsely accused the Duke Lacrosse players of rape). Similar to my client, (name redacted), it would be a shining example of when law enforcement and prosecutors push to convict innocent men, sometimes innocent people are murdered.”

Coming from guys experienced in criminal investigations and high-stakes trials, the words above should cause every American to take pause. Why? Because men like Major Martin are being charged, tried and convicted far too often based almost solely on allegations made by vengeful women.

UPDATE 12/7/2015 at 8:13 a.m. Central: A military judge continued the military trial date for Army Maj. Christian “Kit” Martin to sometime in March 2016, though no specific date has been set.

UPDATE 12/10/2015 at 11:09 a.m. Central: I’ve learned that Major Martin’s military trial date is set for March 14-18, 2016.

For links to other articles of interest as well as photos and commentary, join me on Facebook and Twitter. Please show your support by buying my books and encouraging your friends and loved ones to do the same. Thanks in advance!